Like a Daydream
by cakeengland
Summary: Marinette was never Ladybug- it was all a figment of her imagination, created while she was in a five-year coma as the result of a freak accident. Paris was never in danger from Hawk Moth. Or was it? A few weeks after Marinette wakes from her coma, buildings around Paris start crumbling. Marinette saves a kid from debris, and meets a new friend who will change her life forever...
1. Part 1 - Chapter 1

_A/N: Written for someone on tumblr. This is an AU where Marinette was in a coma for five years, and everyone's twenty-ish. Please leave a review if you enjoyed!_

* * *

"Ladybug, watch out!"

Ladybug immediately ducked, just in time as a slab of stone came flying towards her. A small shiver ran down her spine- if it had connected, she would've been lucky to walk away with a concussion. Death could have been a very real possibility.

She and Chat Noir had been fighting the akuma, Wallflower, for half an hour at this point. This was unusually long for them, but fighting enemies you couldn't see was _difficult._ Ladybug concluded she was never going to look at chameleons the same way.

"This isn't working," she announced as Chat landed beside her. "We need a plan."

"Of course, my Lady, but do you have any ideas?" her partner questioned. There was a small bruise blooming on his right cheek.

Ladybug thought for a moment. Five years of fighting unique and sometimes illogical akumas and _this_ was what stumped her. It was almost shameful. "I've got nothing. How about you?"

Chat Noir paused, thinking. "Well, my Lady," he began, "when we fought The Invisible One, it was your Lucky Charm that saved the day."

 _Of course! How could I forget The Invisible One? Well, I guess it has been five years…_ "Lucky Charm!" she shouted, throwing her yoyo up into the air as she had done so many times before.

"...A can of spray paint?" she wondered aloud, slightly amused. "Didn't we already get this Lucky Charm way back when we fought Le Gamer?"

"Maybe- my Lady!" Chat pulled her out of the path of another flying brick. _Come on, Ladybug, focus. You only have a few minutes to finish this fight,_ she thought to herself _._

"Chat, cover me," she instructed, already looking around for the telltale red and black flash of the Lucky Charm vision. Her partner nodded, beginning to spin his staff to create a shield to deflect anything thrown at them.

 _That's strange… nothing's showing up. It wouldn't have given me something I can't- wait!_ She squinted. The faint outline of a person was flashing red and black. _That's Wallflower!_ Suddenly, it clicked. _That's it! If I can tag him with the spraypaint, we can see him!_ She mentally berated herself for not noticing the obvious solution. Then again, she'd been up the entire night prior without a wink of sleep for her school assignment, so maybe she could forgive herself.

"Wallflower's over there," she informed Chat, pointing. "I need to get close enough to spray him!"

The black cat glanced over to where she was indicating. "I sur _paw_ se I'll have to be the distraction again?" He smiled at her to remove any underlying barbs from his words.

"Again," Ladybug chuckled. "Can I count on you, kitty?"

"When have I ever let you down?" he replied, which was a good point. For the past five years, Chat Noir had always come through for her, no matter how dire the situation.

Chat walked in the direction she had indicated. "Hey, Mr. Chameleon!" he shouted. "Although your colours are the _purr_ fect blend, maybe you could try a new style? _Purr_ sonally I _paw_ fer one solid colour."

He quickly jumped to the side as more debris was thrown at him. "Hey now, no need to get your fur so ruffled!"

 _Him and his puns, honestly._ Ladybug eyed the place the debris was being thrown from. _It doesn't look like he's moved. Good._ She began to approach the human chameleon from the side, hoping his attention was fully grabbed by Chat Noir.

Luck was on her side, as per usual. The black spraypaint clearly revealed Wallflower, as well as the item she was willing to bet was hiding the akuma, a bracelet that twisted like ivy.

Taking a risk, she made a grab for the bracelet, managing to slip it off Wallflower's wrist before being thrown into a nearby wall, the jewellery flying out of her hand.

"LADYBUG!" she heard Chat yell, his voice full of worry.

"Don't worry about me, get the bracelet!" she called to him, struggling to stand up. The suit protected her from any crippling injury, but she would have some heavy bruising.

Chat gave her one last worry-filled glance before obliging, running towards where the bracelet had fallen. Wallflower had the same idea, but the cat superhero was faster, not to mention more agile.

He snatched up the bracelet. "My Lady, catch!" he called, throwing the bracelet to her. She reached up to grab it out of the air, smashing it against the ground. It broke cleanly in two, the akuma fluttering out.

Capturing the akuma in her yoyo, Ladybug quickly purified the butterfly, before throwing the spraypaint can into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Are you alright, my Lady?" Chat Noir asked, making his way over as the cure worked its magic.

"I'll be fine," she assured, holding out her fist for the customary fistbump. Chat hesitated, but went through with the action.

"Mission accomplished!" they cheered. Suddenly, Ladybug's Miraculous let out a loud _beep,_ warning her that she only had a minute left.

"I have to go," she apologized. "I'll see you tomorrow for patrol?"

"Of course, my Lady," Chat agreed, kneeling to kiss her hand. She quickly pulled away, causing her partner to pout slightly. "I look _fur_ ward to our next meeting."

Ladybug nodded, turning to leave. After five years, she could easily make it home within the short time limit, though she was slowed by the aches that were starting to set in. She barely made it in time, her transformation releasing the second she was inside her room and out of sight.

"I should probably get some sleep," Marinette mused, feeding some cookies from her purse to Tikki. "I have a big assignment coming up tomorrow, after all." The ladybug kwami made a noise of agreement, her mouth too full to speak.

Marinette quickly changed into her pajamas, lying in her bed. "Goodnight, Tikki."

"Goodnight, Marinette."

* * *

Marinette slowly opened her eyes, quickly shutting them again as blinding white lights shone into them. She counted to ten before opening her eyes again, this time able to see.

The room she was in was creamy white, and the faint scent of bleach filled her nostrils. Almost every muscle in her body ached, as though she had slept for a very long time. She could hear the soft humming of machines. Turning her head, Marinette saw an IV in her chest, and she was also connected to heart monitor and other equipment she didn't know the name of.

 _Is… this a hospital?_ she realized. _What am I doing here? Why aren't I at home?_

At that moment, the door opened, and Marinette found herself staring at her parents. Her mother's face was streaked with dry tear tracks, and her father looked noticeably downcast. For a moment, there was an eerie silence.

Then both of her parents were hugging her, crying despite their wide smiles. "Maman? Papa?" she asked, confused. "Why are you crying?"

This comment caused Sabine to cry harder, her tears soaking into Marinette's hospital gown, while Tom offered her a sad smile. "You were in an accident, Marinette," he explained. "You were in a coma for five years. The doctors didn't know when you'd wake up, if ever."

"I was in a coma for… five years?" That didn't make sense. For the past five years, she'd been saving Paris from akumas alongside Chat Noir. The only way she could have been in a coma was if… "A dream," she whispered to herself. "It was all a dream."

Unbeknownst to her, a single tear slipped from her eyes. _Of course. Magic doesn't exist. Something that amazing couldn't possibly be real. Paris is peaceful and safe. No Hawk Moth, no akumas. No kwamis or Miraculouses. And… no Chat Noir._ Her heart broke a little at the thought. her loyal and flirty kitty had been one of her closest friends, even if she never found out who he was behind the mask. Knowing that he had been a figment of her imagination was a harsh blow. More tears started to fall, and she buried her head in her arms. _I can't believe it… I don't_ want _to believe it._

"We will need to run some tests, as well as ask her some questions," the doctor was saying. "If all goes well, Marinette will be discharged from the hospital within the next few days, though it's likely she will need private tutoring, as well as physical therapy for a while."

 _Private tutoring… I did miss five years of education. Most of my friends are probably at university. I wonder if Alya found a different subject to blog about? The Ladyblog was her pride and joy in my dream… and Adrien._ Her heart fluttered slightly at the thought of her crush. _Does he still model for his father? He did in my dream…_

"Marinette," the doctor said, breaking her reverie, "do you mind if we begin asking the questions now?"

"Of course not," she quickly replied, smiling. "Go ahead."

She never noticed the ladybug perched on her windowsill.


	2. Part 1 - Chapter 2

_A/N: To the guest who kept demanding I post more- my beta and I both have lives. My writing is a free service, not a right. Demanding will not get you the chapter any faster. On a happier note, thank you for your support, everybody! As always, please leave a review if you enjoyed. Constructive criticism is appreciated. :)_

* * *

"Who's your best friend?"

"Alya Césaire," Marinette responded diligently. For the past half an hour, the doctor had been asking her questions, all of which she had answered accurately. "Hey… would you be able to tell me when I'll be able to talk to her?"

The doctor smiled at her gently. "Well, you don't appear to have any gaps in your memory, and I need to prepare some physical tests, so you could call her now, if you'd like. Your phone is in your bag on the table." He left the room.

Marinette reached for her bag. After rummaging through her bag for a moment, she found the device. After opening her contacts, she stared at Alya's name for a moment. I wonder if she's found a new best friend after all these years? Taking a deep breath, she hit the call button.

Alya picked up after a few rings. "M-Marinette? You're awake?" The question was spoken with bated breath, and it sounded like her friend was on the verge of tears. Marinette felt her heart tighten painfully.

"Yeah, I am," she replied softly. Almost immediately, she heard the sound of crying, choked sobs making their way through the phone. For a moment, she worried that she'd said something wrong.

"Marinette, y-you're finally awake… a-after all these years…" It was clear Alya was struggling to speak through her tears. "I- you know what, I'm coming to see you. Right now. See you in a bit." The call ended abruptly, and the ravenette pulled it away from her ear, staring at it for a moment. Then she smiled. Alya was honestly the greatest friend she could have ever wished for. She laid back on her pillows, waiting.

About ten minutes later, the door was flung open, and her best friend entered open. Marinette opened her mouth to greet her, but didn't get the chance to speak as she was immediately wrapped in a bearhug. Oh God, it was suddenly so much more difficult to breathe. It had never been this difficult before- she knew that for certain, considering that Alya was notorious for her 'vice grip' hugs, something she spared no one. "M-Marinette," she sniffled, and the red in her eyes was obvious. "God, I missed you so, so much."

Marinette smiled, her nerves easing. "I wish I could say the same, but I saw you every day in my dream."

"Every day?" Alya inquired. "Sounds like you've got a story to tell." She paused briefly, then added, "And before you ask, no. I'm not letting you go. You're going to explain while I'm hugging you."

Marinette chuckled. Same old Alya. "It was like I was living in a book, Alya. It was amazing- almost exactly like real life, but with fantasy elements added. I'm upset it wasn't real, to be honest."

"What kind of fantasy elements are we talking here?" her friend asked. "I need details, girl!"

"Magic and superheroes," she informed. "You loved it, Alya- you ran the Ladyblog, a blog dedicated to Ladybug, part of Paris' famous superhero duo!"

"Sounds a lot more interesting than my vlog," Alya mused. "Anyway, duo? Who was Ladybug's partner?"

"His name was Chat Noir," Marinette sighed, feeling the cracks on her heart widen as she faced reality. The name falling from her lips was like a knife. "I think he was a little in love with Ladybug."

"Was it reciprocated?" the redhead asked, her reporter nature showing.

Marinette shook her head. "No. Ladybug was in love with- well, Adrien."

"Hold up, Adrien? Adrien Agreste?" Alya interrupted. "The Adrien you have a massive crush on?"

The ravenette blushed. "Y-Yeah, that's the one." I was Ladybug, after all.

"Good thing she isn't real, then," Alya laughed. "With competition like a superhero, it would've been best to move on."

Except for the tiny detail that I was Ladybug. "I guess you're right," Marinette replied, forcing a laugh. "Anyway, back to the superhero thing. So, of course they had superpowers. Ladybug had Lucky Charm, which allowed her to summon an item that would help her out. They're usually pretty random, but they saved the day anyway. Chat Noir had Cataclysm, which allowed him to destroy anything he touched."

"What about the evil villain?" Alya raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Every superhero story has one."

"A man named Hawk Moth," Marinette answered. "He would send out evil butterflies called akumas, which would possess people and turn them into supervillians."

"Sounds like an awesome story," her friend commented. "Hey, that gives me an idea! Why don't you turn it into an online book? I'm sure lots of people would like to read it."

"But then I'd get a bunch of people asking about the next chapters," Marinette pointed out.

"Then use a pseudonym, girl!" Alya suggested. "If you're really that paranoid, I bet Max could teach you to bounce your location."

A pseudonym… got it. "Maybe I'll go by Ladybug, since she's the main character and everything. As for a title…" She tapped her chin, thinking. "I'm going to call it Miraculous."

"Miraculous? Why?"

"Ladybug and- Ladybug needed her magic earrings called her Miraculous to transform," Marinette explained, refusing to say Chat's name more than she needed to. If there was one thing or person from her dream that she mourned, it was him.

"Oh, I get it!" Alya exclaimed. "Plus it's just a nice title in general. Miraculous… kind of gives a sense of excitement."

"I'm glad you think so," Marinette smiled. "I'll start writing it tonight if I can."

"Great, I'm excited to read it," Alya encouraged. "Anyway, about what you've missed while you were in a coma." She began to update Marinette on what had happened in the five years she had been asleep.

"How's Adrien?" the ravenette finally gathered the courage to ask.

"He's-" Alya paused, and there was a sly grin stretching across her face. "Why don't you call him and ask? I know I gave you his number before the accident."

"I-" Marinette knew she was blushing. There was no way she wasn't. She sighed. "Look, Alya, you know how difficult it is for me to talk to him. I might talk to him, I might not. Just answer the question."

Her friend was chuckling. "Your Prince Charming is doing fine, Marinette. I heard he came to visit you while you were in your coma, by the way. Pretty often, in fact. Did I mention this is recent news?"

"W-What?" Marinette was shocked. Adrien had made time in his busy schedule to visit her? Just one of his classmates who couldn't even speak around him? Frequently? "Alya, are you serious?"

"Would I lie to you about something that means so much to you?" At those words, the ravenette's heart soared. Adrien had really visited her! "Hey, I have to do something for Maman," Alya informed, sounding apologetic. "Do yourself a favour and call Adrien, okay? Talk to you later!"

After her friend left the room, Marinette went to her phone contacts. Sure enough, she found her crush's name there- Adrien Agreste. Her hands shook, an internal war raging between her heart and mind.

She put the phone down.


	3. Part 1 - Chapter 3

_A/N: Okay, so I hate to start this chapter off with a gripe, but this is really bugging me. 'Please update' is_ not _a review. We writers have lives, and we write our story when we can. Not to mention we may be trying to keep up with updating multiple stories. So please- don't ever give a review of 'Please update,' to me or any other writer. 'I really love this story!' is a lot more worthwhile, and conveys the same message that you enjoy the story and want it to continue._

* * *

Marinette was released from the hospital the next day. She'd been quick to inform Alya, even if she was basically confined to her room due to the atrophy of her muscles. Standing up was difficult, if manageable.

It was very boring, to be honest. She'd already written two chapters of _Miraculous_ as a result. She was quite tired thanks to her decaying muscles, but proud of herself nonetheless. She thought it was going well- she'd already gotten positive reviews on the site she'd posted it on.

About noon, she heard voices downstairs. It sounded like quite a few, too. She paused, listening for a moment. The voices seemed familiar…

She was surprised when Alya entered her room. "Hey, Mari," she greeted. "I gathered most of your classmates together to celebrate your awakening!" More people started entering her room, leaving Marinette wide-eyed in shock. Rose, Juleka, Mylène, Alix, Kim, Ivan, Max, Nino, Nathanaël… everyone was there, except for Chloé and Sabrina, which was no surprise, and… Adrien. Her heart sank.

It was then immediately forgotten as she realized she was still in her pajamas. "ALYA!" she shrieked in horror. "YOU SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME, I'M STILL IN MY PJS!"

"Sorry," Alya replied, not sounding sorry at all. Her classmates simply smiled, well used to Marinette's antics with her best friend.

"Hey, everyone," she greeted after it became apparent Alya didn't have anything else to say for herself. "It's so great to see you all."

"We all missed you!" Rose exclaimed. "We all came by whenever we could!"

"Except for Chloé and Sabrina, but hey, who's surprised?" Alix interjected, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms.

"Wow, I… thank you all." Marinette was surprised, but elated as well. "Alya, you said you organized this?"

"Of course I did!" Alya sounded offended at the _implication_ she hadn't. "My best friend comes out of a five-year coma, what do you _expect_ me to do?"

Marinette laughed. "Of course, I should have known. Thanks, Alya."

"She didn't give us the option to refuse," Nino informed. "If we had plans, we had to cancel them. _With only a few hours notice._ The only one who got away with it was Adrien- and only because it was impossible for him to cancel one of his shoots."

"He really wanted to come," Alya added.

"I apologize for any problems I caused by waking up," Marinette joked, pulling a few laughs and reassurances of 'it's fine.'

"We should take a picture," Mylène suggested. "To remember when Marinette woke up."

"That's a great idea, Mylène!" the ravenette agreed. Seeing Juleka looking apprehensive, she recalled the Reflekta incident in her dream. _Photo curse? Not on my watch. I mean… if she stills thinks it exists. Still, I'm not taking any chances._ "Juleka, why don't you come sit next to me?"

Juleka's face showed surprise for a moment, then a small smile formed. She welcomed the suggestion, sitting on Marinette's left. Looking at the rest of her classmates, an idea formed in Marinette's mind. "Hey, Nathanaël, can you sit on my right? Alya, stand behind me. Nino, you're on Alya's right. Rose…" She directed them into spots they would hopefully be pleased with. "Perfect! Okay everyone, smile!" With some difficulty, Marinette managed to get everyone in her phone's camera frame. It was well worth it, she decided as she saw everyone's beaming faces. "I'll send you all a copy later," she promised.

From there, the conversation turned to what everyone was studying to become. Marinette was unsurprised by many of the answers, such as Alya studying to become a journalist and Kim going into professional sports. She was, however, caught off guard by Juleka's choice to become a makeup artist. Juleka explained that she wanted to help ensure less people felt invisible, as she had many times before. As they were discussing it, Marinette noticed a small sparkle on the other's ring finger.

"Juleka, is that a wedding ring?" she asked in curiosity, trying to get a closer look. Juleka nodded, lifting her hand so that Marinette could see better.

"I got married to Rose last year," she explained, smiling slightly as she placed an arm around Rose's shoulders.

"We wanted to invite you," Rose added, giggling from Juleka's affections, "but we couldn't because you were in a coma!"

"Well, that's no one's fault but my own," Marinette laughed. "If I had known, I would have tried to wake up faster. Still, you've got to send me pictures!"

She was very happy for Juleka and Rose, of course, but her thoughts once again turned to Adrien. She couldn't help it. _I wonder if he's got a girlfriend now? Has he dated anyone at all? Oh no, what if he's going out with Chloé? What if-_

Her mild internal panic must have shown, because Alya gave her a nudge. "What's up, girl?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Is Adrien dating anyone?" she managed to ask, flushing bright red with embarrassment. She was glad most of her other classmates had broken off into their own conversations.

"Relax, girl, he's still single," Alya laughed. "In fact, I think he might be into _you."_

"W-What?!" Marinette stuttered, immensely grateful for the fact that she wasn't holding anything. If she had been, the unfortunate object would have been on the floor. "Alya, do you even _know_ what you're saying?"

"Of course I do!" Her friend sounded very confident. "Just hear me out. Half the time I went to visit you in the hospital, he was already there. A couple times I heard him _talking_ to you, Marinette." There was a twinkle in her eye, implying what she was going to say next was truthful, but mischievous. "I know I heard him ask you to wake up at least once. And you should have heard his _tone_ when he said that."

"I still think you're crazy." Marinette didn't dare to hope. "I mean, we barely talked before I fell into my coma. How could he _possibly_ have a crush on me?"

Alya winked. "Love works in mysterious ways. Trust me, girl, even if he _doesn't_ have a crush on you, there's a certain fondness there."

Marinette's heart skipped a few beats. _There's no way he has a crush on me. But… does he actually care about me? As a friend? Alya, you better be right about this…_

The rest of the party passed by in a blur. At some point a video gaming competition came up, and Marinette was secretly pleased to discover that she could still beat Max at Ultimate Mecha Strike III. Alix and Kim had competed over it, of course, and Alix won. Eventually, Sabine had come up with platters of food. Given that the group of kids were starving at that point, it was a miracle that there were any leftovers at all. Alix and Kim consumed the most food, as the result of an eating competition- and at this point, Nino had made a fortune off taking bets for their competitions. However, Marinette couldn't stop thinking about what her best friend had said. Even after everyone had left, it weighed on her mind.

It was approximately four o'clock when her mother called up to her. "Marinette, you have another visitor!"

 _Another visitor?_ the ravenette wondered. _Who could it be?_

The answer became apparent as a certain blond-haired, green-eyed model called up to her. "Hey, Marinette, can I come into your room?"

"U-Uh, s-su-re!" Marinette responded, and oh god did she _squeal?_ Adrien climbed into the room, smiling, and she knew she had to be bright red already.

"H-Hi, A-Adri-Adrien," Marinette stuttered, and she half-wished she hadn't woken up from her coma. _Oh my god, he's gotten even hotter in real life. And I thought my coma prepared me for this situation._

"I'm really sorry I couldn't come to the party earlier," Adrien apologized, with the sincerest expression Marinette had ever seen. "I really wanted to, but I already had modelling, which I couldn't exactly cancel."

"I- It's o-okay!" Marinette assured. Hopefully she hadn't scared him off by now. "You can't really do anything about modelling. I- I mean, it's kind of your current job, right?"

"Yeah, but I still wanted to come see you." He smiled at her, and Marinette could feel her brain melting. "I got you a gift."

The comment took several seconds to process, and she couldn't help but gape slightly. "Y-You didn't n-need to get m-me a-any-anything."

"But I wanted to." Adrien was still smiling as he rummaged around in his bag. "Here." He placed a small box in Marinette's hand. Trembling, she opened it, and immediately gasped at its contents. A shining silver necklace rested inside, with a cat charm attached to the links. Its jade eyes, though inanimate, seemed to glimmer mischievously. It summoned to mind memories of Chat Noir, causing a painful pang in her heart.

"It's beautiful," she managed to say despite the rush of emotion, and she meant it. "Thank you." She removed the necklace with a gentle, almost reverent touch.

"No problem. I'm glad you like it." She noticed Adrien fidget slightly, as though he were nervous. But that was impossible, wasn't it? There was no reason for _Adrien_ to be nervous. "...I'm glad you're awake," he told her after a moment, his voice quiet.

"I-I'm glad I'm awake t-too," she tried to joke, the spell of the necklace broken as she remembered who exactly she was talking to. Adrien laughed, the sound ringing loud and clear, and Marinette felt her heart skip several beats.

"Hey, I have to go," Adrien apologized. "I only had a short amount of time to come and see you- I'm really busy this week. Sorry."

"I-It's not a p-pro-problem," Marinette quickly reassured. Just the mere fact Adrien had visited her and given her a _gift_ made her feel like she had been blessed. "H-Hey, before you go, there's s-some leftover s-snacks from the p-party. "W-would you like s-some?"

Adrien looked surprised for a moment, but then his expression softened happily. "Yes, please. I would love that." Marinette leaned over to a small box of macarons sitting on one of the tables, handing it to Adrien.

"So I guess I'll see you around," the blond smiled, raising his free hand in a small wave. Marinette hastily returned it as the model climbed down from her room.

Marinette stared at the trapdoor for a moment, relishing the feel of the necklace in her hand. She heard the front door close downstairs, and shook herself out of her trance, turning back to her computer. She'd work on _Miraculous_ for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

 **From: Shutterbug**

 _Mari there's a shooting star_

 _Make a wish (;_

Flicking her eyes over the text, Marinette quickly stood up as fast as her weakened body would allow her. She made her way out to her balcony, looking up at the obsidian sky. Sure enough, a small, twinkling light was streaking across the sky.

 _What should I wish for?_ Marinette wondered. Immediately, the dream came to mind. She recalled a bright, bubbly voice chirruping advice and comfort, a large smile spreading across a tiny creature's face. She also pictured emerald green eyes and flirtatious jokes, a stalwart companion. She remembered the feeling of the wind in her hair, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. The answer became obvious, and the ravenette smiled as her lips silently framed her wish.

 _I wish the kwamis and Miraculouses were real._


	4. Part 1 - Chapter 4

It had been three weeks since Alya's 'happy awakening' party, as Marinette had decided to call it. She had regained further use of her muscles over that time, to the point where the ache in her arms no longer hindered her ability to write _Miraculous._ She'd produced thirteen chapters of it as a result, and the positive response it had received had only grown.

Marinette was also pleased that she could finally go downstairs to eat dinner with her parents. Sabine and Tom were understandably surprised at first, but then they were hugging their daughter, crying like they had when she'd first woken up. Marinette had savoured that night's dinner like it was her last.

The past weeks had been completely peaceful as well, a jarring change from her dream. It still took Marinette a few moments in the morning to remember she didn't have to be alert for akuma attacks anymore. It was nice, even if had its drawbacks- for example, she didn't have a loyal, flirty kitten for a partner.

She'd had to pause for several seconds when she first had that thought. Had she really grown so attached?

She'd talked about him with Alya, who showed empathy even if she couldn't sympathize. "Sounds like you really cared about him, girl," she'd told Marinette with a sad smile. "If only he was real."

She'd also started watching the news again. She'd missed five years of events, so she reasoned it would be a good idea to start catching up on what was happening in the world. So far, it had all been pretty standard. Nothing stood out to Marinette.

" _Strange earthquakes have been shaking City Hall and the buildings around it,"_ the news reporter informed. A red 'breaking news' bar ran across the bottom of the screen and Marinette sat up straighter, listening intently. " _The cause is currently suspected to be a mysterious brown-haired girl in a mask."_ The camera panned, showing the destroyed street block, and Marinette couldn't hold in a gasp. The girl herself wasn't familiar, but the overall design… it was that of an akuma. _But how is that possible?_ the ravenette thought frantically. _It was a dream! Hawk Moth doesn't exist!_

" _The police are unable to find a way to defeat the girl, but they urge the public to remain calm. Many citizens have joined together to help free those trapped by the fallen rubble…"_

 _I need to help,_ Marinette decided. _I may not be Ladybug, but I don't need magic powers to help evacuate people from debris._ Her parents weren't home, so there was no one to stop her.

She pulled on a jacket, slipping her feet into her shoes. She couldn't yet run, which frustrated her, but walking would have to suffice.

After a while, she found the evacuation site. People were fleeing, not wanting to remain near the disaster site, but amongst the chaos a distraught mother was wailing, "My son! My son's still in there!"

"I'll find your son," Marinette quickly offered, hurriedly approaching the woman. "What does he look like?"

"Thank you so much!" the woman thanked her gratefully. "His name is Jackson. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He's wearing a red shirt and khaki shorts."

Marinette quickly made note of those details. "Got it. Don't worry, ma'am. I'll find him."

"Thank you," the woman repeated, eyes brimming with tears.

"It's not a problem," Marinette promised with a smile. She then turned to the pile of debris. _Time to go in…_ Taking a deep breath, she ventured forwards, denying the fact that she was slightly afraid of the rubble collapsing on her. She'd faced much worse in her dream. The fact she'd been a superhero was beside the point.

Her footsteps stirred up dust, and Marinette paused to cough. Every now and again, a few stones would fall from the ceiling to the ground.

After a few minutes of wandering the bleak ruins, Marinette already felt like she'd been in there for hours. There wasn't much scenery change, though that was to be expected. Still, she trudged on.

A little while later, she heard a soft sniffling. The ravenette froze, trying to pinpoint the source. It seemed to be coming from a cluster of rocks to her left. She made her way over as quickly as she could. A young boy was cowering behind them, and Marinette checked him against the description she had been given. "Jackson?" she asked quietly.

The blond boy looked up, appearing to be startled. "Where's Maman?" he whispered, trembling.

"Maman's just outside," Marinette responded, placing a soothing hand on the kid's shoulder. "I'll take you to her, okay?"

Jackson immediately nodded, blue eyes wide. "It's scary in here…"

"Don't worry, you won't be in here for much longer," Marinette promised. "Just stay close to me. It's still dangerous in here." Taking the kid's hand, she began to lead him out of the ruins.

After a few minutes, the ground shook underfoot. Glancing up at the roof to check for falling rocks, the ravenette's eyes widened as she saw a large slab of stone falling loose above them. It would crush her and severely injure her- but it would most certainly kill Jackson.

 _No!_ Without thinking, Marinette jumped forward and pushed him out of the way. She belatedly realised this put her in the stone's path, and she raised her arms in a futile attempt to protect her head. _If I somehow get out of this alive, Alya's gonna kill me herself._

After several seconds passed with no pain, Marinette glanced around. What she saw made her heart beat too rapidly for it to be healthy. A wall had formed, shielding her from Jackson's sight. But that wasn't what had caught her attention.

A small red creature with blue eyes floated in front of her. It had antennae and a large black spot on its forehead. It was also familiar to the ravenette. _Very_ familiar.

"Hi!" the creature chirruped. "My name's Tikki."

Marinette burst into tears.


	5. Part 1 - Chapter 5

_A/N: Guys, I'm really sorry I have to begin this chapter on this note, but I think some of you missed the point of me asking you guys not to leave reviews saying "please update" or some variant thereof. I also don't like "please continue". Some of you acknowledged this, but proceeded to do it anyway. This is incredibly disrespectful, guys. Please do not continue to do this. "I'm really excited to see where this story is going!" conveys the same idea, but in words that annoy me less. I am under no obligation to write this. Please understand and respect this._

 _On other notes, since some of you have been asking- there are no plans to discontinue this story, and if that changes, you'll know. If I haven't updated in a few months but you get no discontinuation notice, it means I'm either taking a break, or I'm really struggling with this chapter. The latter was the case with this chapter._

 _With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter, given the long wait!_

* * *

"Marinette!" Tikki exclaimed as she saw the tears running down the ravenette's face. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Marinette shook her head to indicate that she was alright, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. "I'm fine, really," she insisted. "I'm just a little… overwhelmed by joy. Those were happy tears."

She expected the kwami to be confused as to how she was excited before anything had been explained, but instead the ladybug spirit's expression morphed into one of understanding. "It's good that you're enthusiastic," she chirped happily. There was a flash of red light, and a set of heart-achingly familiar earrings were being held out to her.

She fumbled with the jewelry, thrilled at the prospect of being Ladybug again- for real this time. Eventually, she got them onto her ears. She glanced at Tikki to see if there was any further instruction, receiving only a nod. She assumed that was her cue to transform.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Sixteen seconds later, Marinette stood in her full Ladybug costume once more. Giddiness overcame her for a moment as she brought her hands up to her face to feel her mask. She felt fifteen again- the age she'd been when she'd fallen into her coma.

 _You know what? Don't even think about that. Just concentrate on the akuma you have to defeat. There'll be plenty of time later to be philosophical. Just… focus._ She shook herself slightly. _Okay, where did the akuma go?_

It didn't take much searching to find the angry demon continuing her reign of terror. She held herself back from announcing her presence in typical Ladybug style- with her muscles still recovering full mobility and Chat Noir absent, she couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks. She tried not to think about her (hopefully only current) lack of a partner.

Instead she analyzed, as she would do with a Lucky Charm. _Her akuma is in that necklace with the piece of rock on it, it has to be. Powers are pretty obvious, controlling the earth… any weaknesses?_

She couldn't identify any. Not that all akumas had weaknesses such as the Evillustrator's inability to draw without a light source, but not having them certainly made the battle harder.

The ground beside her shook violently, forcing Marinette to reveal herself out in the open to avoid getting her feet trapped in rubble. Soon enough, Earthshaker's beady eyes landed on her.

"Ladybug!" she screeched triumphantly. "Master Hawk Moth said you'd come. This doesn't have to be a mess if you peacefully surrender your Miraculous."

"Over my dead body," she replied confidently, shooting the akuma a defiant glare. Vaguely she knew her life was at risk here, but that wasn't a new sensation for her. She'd believed that the same had been true in her dream, even if she now knew it wasn't.

"Have it your way," Earthshaker sneered, and several buildings began to tip, all aiming to bury her under the rubble. Marinette swiftly used her yoyo to pull herself to safer ground, only for it to shudder and shake beneath her once her feet touched down.

 _I can't keep on like this,_ she thought as she headed for a safe place once more. _But I can't afford to use Lucky Charm too early, either._

"Just give up!" the akuma spat at her. "You know very well it'll be better than being buried beneath piles of rubble!"

"Maybe so, but you've forgotten the third, most likely scenario- your defeat!" Marinette replied smoothly. _I can't think of anything that will help me out, so I guess I really have no other choice but to use Lucky Charm._

She scanned the vicinity for a place to safely use her power. At first, she picked up on nothing. Suddenly, the ground began to crack all around her, fast and swiftly. Panicking slightly, she noticed a single building that had yet to be destroyed. She instinctively threw her yoyo at it and pulled herself to the top, glancing down at the akuma. She looked dazed and exhausted.

 _This is my chance to use Lucky Charm!_ While the demon was weakened, she threw her yoyo up in the air. "Lucky Charm!"

"A hose?" Marinette stared at the tubing that fell into her hands. "Okay, let's see…" _Water… earth… mud!_ The solution clicked in her mind. _Of course, that's it! I just need a water source…_

She opened her compact, checking a map. The nearest fire hydrant was a few blocks away. _That's perfect! The akuma still looks dazed, so if I hurry, I should be able to shake her off for long enough to prepare the plan without interruptions._

Sliding her compact closed again, she headed towards the identified location of the fire hydrant. A team of firefighters and police were assembled nearby.

Realizing she'd need to get into the fire hydrant, she approached a firefighter. "Excuse me, sir. Can I borrow a wrench?"

The firefighter gave her a strange look, and Marinette remembered that no one in the awakening world knew who Ladybug was. "Ma'am, you need to leave. This area is dangerous!"

"I know," she said in desperation. "Sir, I know this might be hard to believe, but my name is Ladybug and I'm a superhero. I can fix this, but I really need to borrow a wrench!"

The fireman stared at her for a few long moments, and she could feel her hopes plummeting. "Very well, but if you're told to leave again, you must leave."

Marinette's heart soared as a wrench was held out to her. "Thank you, sir!" she said in delight, taking it to the fire hydrant she'd identified earlier. Earthshaker still hadn't shown up, and Marinette estimated she had maybe a minute left before the akuma made her reappearance.

Quickly attaching the hose to the fire hydrant, the ravenette braced herself. Soon enough, Earthshaker's arrival was heralded by the rumbling of the ground.

"There you are, Ladybug!" she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the heroine. "Did you really think you could get away from me?"

Marinette shook her head calmly. "Of course not. I just needed some time." With a deep breath, she turned the hose on the akuma.

The jet of water caught Earthshaker off guard, a cry of pain being torn from her throat. The ravenette's hands shook as she kept the stream trained on the demon, but she couldn't let her emotions get in the way of the city.

After too long, Earthshaker fell silent. Though Marinette knew she was only unconscious, a cold chill swept through her body and her legs felt like jelly as she made her way over to the prone akuma. With trembling fingers she removed the rock pendant, smashing it against the ground. The black butterfly fluttered out.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," she whispered as she purified the akuma, before casting her Miraculous cure. Out of habit, she turned with her fist held out. Then she remembered- Chat Noir wasn't there.

Something ugly and bitter curled in her chest. She didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as a groan signalled the awakening of the akuma victim. Kneeling next to her, Marinette asked kindly, "Are you alright?"

The teenage girl looked up at her with confusion written all over her face. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Though she kept her demeanour calm, Marinette couldn't help the soul-crushing disappointment of the realization that she'd really have to fight to rebuild Ladybug's reputation. "My name's Ladybug. You should head home- your parents must be worried sick." She helped the girl stand.

"Well, whatever happened, thank you, Ladybug." A soft smile was offered to Marinette, and she returned it. Then the girl was gone, to be replaced by crowds of reporters. Microphones were being pushed in her face from all angles, and the ravenette couldn't help but feel claustrophobic. This wasn't how her first battle had ended in the dream, after all.

 _Beep! Beep!_

"My name's Ladybug, and I'm going to protecting the city of Paris from now on," she hurriedly introduced herself for the third time that day. "I'm really sorry, but I have to go now. I'll answer your questions at a later time!"

She swiftly escaped from the crowd of reporters, detransforming once she reached her house. She collapsed on her bed, breathing heavily and her heart racing. The strain on her muscles was really starting to kick in.

Tikki popped into view, smiling down at her charge. "You did really well, Marinette!"

She smiled, one of the warmest, most genuine smiles she'd had in awhile. "Thanks, Tikki."


End file.
